Carr fire update: SHOCKING aerial footage shows pace of relentless fire hitting California
AERIAL footage of the California fires shows the relentless blaze hitting the hills of Lakeport as firefighters struggle to extinguish Carr fire.
California fire: Aerial footage shows extent of HUGE wildfire
The video, released by the US National Guard, shows a line of fire quickly taking over the hills of Lakeport, California.
Starting in the Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area, the official cause of the fire has been recorded as ‘Mechanical Failure of a Vehicle’.
The car in question ignited the fire while California was undergoing the severe arid conditions and high temperatures that underline the state's devastating wildfire season.
Scores of people have been evacuated in the wake of the disaster, as 38,000 people have been forced to leave their homes behind.
Dubbed the Carr wildfire after the road it started on, the fire has now been responsible for burning an area the size of Denver as it moves north of the state.
The Carr wildfire’s destructive capability has been surprising so far as the blaze managed to ‘jump’ a major river to the town of Redding.
Thousands of firefighters have been called out in response to the disaster, and are battling to contain it.
California: Wildfires tear through Sutter Buttes mountain range
Wildfires can spread swiftly, so if you are in the area you should remain vigilant
More than a dozen other large wildfires are burning throughout California as well.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has now updated its travel advice for British citizens currently visiting the American state.
“The Ferguson wildfire burning near Yosemite National Park in the state of California has prompted the temporary closure of Yosemite Valley,” says the FCO website.
“The National Park Service is asking visitors to leave. Wildfires can spread swiftly, so if you are in the area you should remain vigilant, monitor local media reports, and follow the instructions issued by local authorities, including obeying any evacuation orders.
“If you have been affected by the wildfire and need consular assistance, you can call the British Consulate in San Francisco on +1 415 617 1300; if you’re in the UK and worried about a British national visiting the Yosemite region, you can call the FCO on 020 7008 1500.”
The Carr Fire has burned 194 square kilometres (120 miles) of land and shows no sign of stopping. It has been the most deadly to come from California’s 2018 wildfire season.
US Federal data has revealed that this year is up 21 per cent from the 10-year average for this time period.
Over four million square kilometres (2million miles) of land has been decimated by fires this year alone.